A school of thought
Parents in China discuss concerns for children entering primary school
Every January, one of the biggest concerns facing Chinese parents of da
ban (children in their final year of kindergarten) is which primary school they will enroll their child in for the autumn semester, as the new year is when most local schools start the application process.
In China’s competitive education system, finding a key primary school for one’s son or daughter before they graduate kindergarten is every parent’s worry, as it can affect their child’s entire academic trajectory.
A growing number of Chinese parents are also opting to supplement their child’s public-school education by loading up their free time with extracurricular classes. This usually includes after-school sports and weekend language lessons.
Nearly 60 percent of all Chinese parents now spend up to 1,000 yuan ($146.25) per month extra on offcampus training for their children, according to a report released by iiMedia Research in October 2018. Joining in on the race are a rising number of expatriate parents raising children in first-tier Chinese cities.
The Global Times recently spoke with several Chinese and foreign parents here to glean some insight into the stress and decision-making behind their child’s education. Some of our interviewees asked to use a pseudonym.
Tom
American father of a 6-year-old boy (will enter primary school this autumn) living in Shanghai
My Chinese colleagues refer to me as a “tiger father” because I keep my 6-year-old preoccupied with many extracurricular classes. As a former teacher, I’m a firm believer in early childhood development. Enriching these first years with a broad variety of lessons and activities optimizes their cognitive and social maturation. So right now I’m trying to introduce our boy to as many different interests as possible. Over the past couple of years he’s been learning kung fu, soccer, Go, Chinese painting and writing, and piano.
Our biggest concern – and our biggest challenge – is that even though my wife and I have lived and worked and paid taxes in Shanghai for over six years, simply because she does not have a hukou (Shanghai household registration certificate), we are essentially locked out of the local public education system.
Ideally, we would prefer to enroll him in our neighborhood public primary school. It would make our lives so much easier and convenient, and he would benefit from the all-Chinese curriculum. But because of the hukou issue, we are forced to apply to “international” schools in Shanghai that are farther away and far more expensive.
Wang
Chinese mother of a 6-year-old boy (will enter primary school this autumn) living in Shanghai
Due to the fierce competition and unequal educational resources, many Chinese parents try to buy xuequfang (housing near key schools) to send their children to key schools.
Personally, I hope my kid can enter a good school. Many families spend a lot of money to buy xuequfang. Why not? If you can afford xuequfang, buy it as soon as possible.
We are afraid of giving him too heavy of a workload. The biggest pressure is for us to not blindly follow the Chinese trend of forcing children to study too much. I hope we can give him some freedom to choose personal hobbies. He’s been learning English, Wu Pin (an off-campus education studio), swimming and Go.
Ironically, I am also afraid he will not be competitive in school if he doesn’t work hard. But I do think it’s important to keep children healthy both mentally and physically.
Ge
Chinese father of a 6-year-old girl (will enter primary school this autumn) living in Shanghai
After speaking with some experienced parents, I’m anxious now because my girl doesn’t know pinyin yet and only a few Chinese characters. Whether she goes to private or public school, competition will be fierce. I prefer private for her, but she has to pass the entrance test first.
She’s been studying Xue’ersi (an educational organization including all subjects) as well as dancing and drawing lessons. Every week I accompany her during her classes so that I can review the material with her later.
I used to have more leisure time on my own to watch movies or play games, but now I spend all my free hours bringing her to school and to all her extracurricular lessons.
He
Chinese mother of a 5-year-old boy living in Beijing
We bought a 58-square-meter xuequfang apartment located in Xicheng district of Beijing for about 7.5 million yuan in 2018. We had to sell our real home, a 90-square-meter apartment in suburban Beijing just for this
xuequfang, as well as borrow from the banks. It was worth it for our son’s education, because we know competition will be very fierce. Many parents in Beijing want to send their children to key schools although the number of good schools here is quite limited.
I don’t want to put too much pressure on our son, so in 2017 I made the decision to transfer him into a private kindergarten in our community which only accommodates a very small number of neighborhood children. Previously, he was in a public kindergarten, but he is introverted and didn’t adapt well. We don’t ask him to learn math, Chinese or English yet. We just hope he can enjoy a lovely and happy childhood, as we used to.
Frank
American father of a 2.5-year-old boy living in Shanghai
I’m in an untypical situation for foreigners in Shanghai, as my wife is the principal of a primary school in Pudong, so we will send our kid there. But I do understand those Chinese parents who buy xuequfang in order to send their kids to key schools. I would do the same.
Elementary education in China is pretty good, especially in Shanghai and other big cities. Math seems better in Chinese primary schools than in the US. But we didn’t send our son to early education, as I was shocked by these classes in which the teachers spoke really loud and fast. Instead, we sent him to swimming class and a local children’s center where he has a chance to socialize with other kids.
I don’t have huge concerns and just want him to have a good environment with positive challenges. I feel less pressure than most Chinese parents.